Arthur and the Invisibles (2006)

Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.

Director:

Luc Besson

Writers:

Céline Garcia, Luc Besson

Stars:

Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Madonna

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Freddie Highmore	...	Arthur
Mia Farrow	...	Granny
Ron Crawford	...	Archibald (voice)
Penny Balfour	...	Arthur's Mother
Doug Rand	...	Arthur's Father
Adam LeFevre	...	Davido
Jean Bejote Njamba	...	Massai Chief
Saul Jephcott	...	Police Officer #1
Lee Delong	...	Saleslady (as Lee de Long)
Christian Erickson	...	Antique Dealer
Eric Balliet	...	Mover #1
Oxmo Puccino	...	Mover #2
Robert William Bradford	...	Baliff
Jerry Di Giacomo	...	Repairman (voice)
Bienvenue Kindoki	...	Matassalai #1

Storyline

Arthur is a spirited ten-year old whose parents are away looking for work, whose eccentric grandfather has been missing for several years, and who lives with his grandmother in a country house that, in two days, will be repossessed, torn down, and turned into a block of flats unless Arthur's grandfather returns to sign some papers and pay off the family debt. Arthur discovers that the key to success lies in his own descent into the land of the Minimoys, creatures no larger than a tooth, whom his grandfather helped relocate to their garden. Somewhere among them is hidden a pile of rubies, too. Can Arthur be of stout heart and save the day? Romance beckons as well, and a villain lurks.

---

Plot Keywords:

treasure | princess | underground world | debt | garden | 

---

Taglines:

Because Small is the New Big

---

Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for fantasy action and brief suggestive material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

France

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Arthur and the Invisibles

Filming Locations:

France

Box Office

Budget:

$86,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,702,789, 14 January 2007, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$15,132,763

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$113,325,743

Company Credits

Production Co:

EuropaCorp, Avalanche Productions, Metro Voices

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When being threatened by the Saides for shining the spotlight on the ruby throne instead of Malthazar, Mino, Miro's son, warns, "You won't like it when I get angry". This is a take on The Incredible Hulk (1978), before Dr. Bruce Banner (Bill Bixby) transforms into the Hulk, he warns his instigators by saying, "You won't like me when I'm angry."

---

Goofs

Arthur visits the Minimoys just after midnight on 1st August 1960 because it is the full moon just after his birthday. The actual full moon date was 02:43 (UT) on Sunday 7th August 1960.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: [a photo album unlatches and opens to a picture of a bearded man] This is Archibald Suchot, a treasure hunter, explorer, and engineer. He spent 10 years in Africa building every type of useful thing. Oh, by the way, it's in the heart of Africa that our story begins.
Narrator: [cut to a country road] Well, this really isn't Africa, it's Connecticut, and this is the house Archibald lived in before he mysteriously disappeared. But that's a story that Archibald's grandson would be more qualified ...

---

Crazy Credits

The credits feature the characters walking by the names of their voice actors and sometimes pausing briefly to wave. The human characters (Arthur's grandmother, parents,etc.) are in Minimoy form. Luc Besson is also seen in Minimoy form.

---

Alternate Versions

Weinstein's 94 minute USA/UK version is renamed "Arthur and the Invisibles" and is heavily cut and rearranged from the original 103 minute French/English language version named "Arthur et les Minimoys":

• The romance, kiss and marriage between Arthur and Selenia is cut.
• All sexual innuendo is cut.
• Davido's attempt to steal the rubies is cut.
• Some live shots are cut, some other added.
• Has more verbose speech.
• Narrator voice added (in addition to Archibald).

---

Connections

Referenced in Arthur and the Invisibles: The Game (2006)

---

Soundtracks

Stayin' Alive
(LP Version)
Written by Barry Gibb, Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb
Performed by The Bee Gees
© 1977 Crompton Songs LLC - Gibb Brothers Music c/o BMG Music Publishing France
Courtesy of BMG Music Vision, Warner Chappell Music France and Warner Music France (A Warner Music Group Company)

User Reviews

Adventure With The Minimoys

'Arthur et les Minimoys' is a charming little children's adventure film. The world of the Minimoys is well created and it is the animated sequences that are much more fun than the acted sequences even though Mia Farrow and Freddie Highmore keep the latter sequences alive while the rest of the actors don't. There has been some nice creative input behind the making of the world of Minimoys. The animation is lively, the vibrant colours and detail are fascinating, the characters are lovable, especially Princess Selenia and her brother and the voice casting (that includes Madonna, Harvey Keitel, Jason Bateman and more) is great. The adventure with Arthur, Selenia and her brother is fun and engaging. How often do you get to see characters sleeping on a cosy bed of pollen, straws being used as a water supply or figures dancing on a moving LP disk? The romance between Selenia and Arthur is well handled. Moreover the film balances the comedy, fantasy and adventure feel very well. Overall, 'Arthur et les Minimoys' is a cute little fun film. Clearly, Luc Besson's intention was to make a children's film and he has succeeded in making a nice one.